Rolling mill screw-down



y 1934- J. A. SMITMANS 6,933

ROLLING MILL SCREW-DOWN Filed Sept. 3, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l s: WM

WITNESSES aww.

y 1934- J. A. SMITMANS ,955,933

ROLLING MILL SCREW-DOWN Filed Sept. 3, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES INVENTOR 7 7 Z 2 55 MM Patented May 1, 1934 PATENT oFFlcE ROLLING MILL SCREW-DOWN John A. Smitmans, Pittsburgh, lPa., assignor to United Engineering & Foundry Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 3, 1932, Serial No. 631,683

Claims.

This invention relates to what is known in the rolling mill art as a screw-down, that is a mechanism for raising and lowering the top roll in a rolling mill to vary the opening of the roll pass.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a screw-down arrangement of the above-noted character, which is exceedingly simple of construction, dependable in operation, and susceptible of being readily adjusted to permit the easy removal and substitution of the mill rolls.

Another object is to provide a screw-down construction having the aforementioned advantages which, in addition to being economical and dependable, considerably reduces the head room over the top of the mill, and relieves the screws of the burden of carrying the weight of the upper roll.

These and numerous other objects, as well as the various other novel features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent when the fol- Za lowing detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which Fig. l is a front elevational view of a rolling mill embodying the invention showing one of the roll housings cut away to the centerline; Fig. 2 an end view of the same; and Fig. 3 a perspective view to reduced scale of one of the end plates by which the bearing assembly of the top roll is connected to the roll supporting assembly.

Referring to the drawings, a three-high mill is 39 shown, by way of illustrating the invention, which comprises the conventional base 1, a stationary roll housing 2, and a movable roll housing .3, the latter being adjustable to accommodate the use in the mill of rolls of difierent lengths. In windows 4, provided in these housings, there is mounted a pair of main rolls 5 and 6 and an intermediate roll 7 which have their ends disposed in suitable bearings 8, 9 and 11, respectively. As will be appreciated from thefollowing description, the

t invention may be embodied in any of the various types of mills of this character, such as two-high, four-high, and cluster type mills.

For holding the bearings 8, 9 and 11 of the rolls 5, 6 and '7, respectively, in place, while at the same time permitting their being readily removed, slidable cover plates 12 and 13 are provided at the ends of the two upper rolls 5 and '7, and tie rods 14 and 15, disposed adjacent the top and bottoms of the housing, are provided for holding the movable housing 3 in a selected position for a given length of the roll.

In accordance with the invention, which is directed more particularly to the support of the upper roll and the mounting of it in engagement with the adjusting screws 16, which are provided for adjusting the upper roll for difierent sizes of openings in the working pass, a split bearing 8 is provided at each end of roll5. As shown best in Fig. 1, this bearing comprises an upper section 17 and a lower section 18, the ends of which are engagedin a pair of binding plates 19 disposed in the sides of the windows 4. In the center of such plates, at their lower ends adjacent the rolls, see particularly Fig. 3, lugs 21 are provided which are adapted to slide in slots 22 cut in the ends of the lower bearing section 18. Between these lugs and the lower edgeof the bearing there is mounted a pair of keys 23 which engage the lugs 21 on the plates 19 and the under sides of the bearings 8 in a manner permitting their easy removal. At their upper ends the plates 19 are provided with shoulders 24 which extend above a reduced portion at the ends of the upper bearing sections, and between these shoulders and the upper edge of the bearings disposed immediately therebelow, the ends 25 and 26 of a pair of cross beams 2'7 and 28 are engaged. To permit adjustment of the movable roll housing 3, the ends 25 and 26 of the beams 2'7 and 28, engaged therein, are made suificiently long to accommodate such adjustment as may be permissible within the limits of the mill. With this assembly, the entire Weight of the upper 'roll 5 and its bearings 8 is transmitted to the beams 27 and 28, whereby relieving the screws 16 of any downward or binding forces. For carrying such weight, the beams 27 and 28 are joined together by a pin 29 in their mid-section and this is connected by rod 31 to a supporting beam 32 mounted on the top of the mill.

For adjusting roll 5 downwardly, screws 16 are extended in the usual manner downwardly through the top of the roll housings 2 and 3, and are equipped at their upper ends with turning worm wheels 33 which are mounted in auxiliary housings 34 supported on top of the main housings 2 and 3. For actuating theseworm wheels, driving worms 35 are meshed with them, and these are mounted on drive shafts 36 which are suitably coupled to a pair of screw-down motors 3'7, mounted in turn on brackets 38 carried by the housings 2 and 3.

To support the upper roll supporting cross beam 32 in such a fashion that it may be adjusted simultaneously with the main screws 16 and by the same means operating such screws, hollow supporting posts 39 are mounted on the top of the auxiliary worm wheel enclosing housings 34. In these there is provided a pair of auxiliary screws 41 which have the same thread pitch as the main screws 16 and a tongue 42 on their lower end which is engaged in a slot 43 on the upper ends of the screws 16 to insure their turning with the main screws. Over the tops of the posts 39 there is provided a pair of inverted cup-shaped sections 4%, which rest upon" the upper ends of the auxiliary screws 41, and are provided with bifurcated upper shoulders 45 for engaging the ends of the upper supporting beam 32, to which the lower beams 27 and 28 are connected by the rod 31, and a hand wheel or adjusting nut 46 which is screwed onto its upper end for tightening or drawing the roll 5 against the lower ends of the main screws 16.

With such an arrangement, as is apparent, the weight of the upper roll 5 is entirely carried by auxiliary screws 41, and due to the operative engagement of the latter with the main screws 16, the upper roll is constantly held against the lower ends of the main screws even when the roll pass is being adjusted, which is desired, and such is accomplished through the effort of the same means that is utilized to operate the main screws. To further improve the construction, a beam 32 is employed which will function as a spring support and is constantly maintained under such tension by the screw 46 that, through its connection by way of the rod 31, to cross beams 27 and 28, and the lower sections 18 of theroll bearing, it maintains the bearing sections constantly in engagement with the roll necks, irrespective of wear.

Among the outstanding advantages of the invention are the simple, sturdy and easily manipulated means provided for carrying the weight of the upper mill rolls, the elimination of any auxiliary means for adjusting the roll upwardly, and the ease with which it permits of the removal and substitution of rolls in the mill as well as the reduced over-head clearance which it provides at the top of the mill. In addition, it removes from the main screws all the complicated difllculties of operation customarily ED001111? tered where all or a portion of the load of the upper rolls in a screw-down mill is carriedby the adjusting screws.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and mode of operation of my invention, and have illustrated and described what I now consider to be its best embodiment.- However, I desire to have it underhousings without requiring manipulation ofsaid roll carrying means, and means driven by said adjusting screws for adjusting the roll carrying means.

2. In a rolling mill, a pair of roll housings,

an upper roll mounted for vertical adjustment in vertical openings provided in said housings, bearing blocks mounted in said openings in engagement with the ends of said roll, adjusting screws mounted in said housings to engage said bearing blocks, a roll-supporting cross beam mounted over said roll with its ends connected 9 said bearing blocks, a pair of auxiliary screws supported by said housings and operably connected to said adjusting screws, a flexible beam supported by said auxiliary screws, and a fiustable means connected under tension by the flexing of said flexible beam between the center of said flexible beam and the center of said cross beam whereby adapting said auxiliary screws to adjustably carry the weight of said upper roll and maintain its bearing blocks in contact with said adjusting screws.

3. In a rolling mill, a pair of roll housings, an upper roll mounted for vertical adjustment in vertical openings provided in said housings, bearing blocks mounted in said openings in engagement with the ends of said roll, adjusting screws mounted in said housings to engage said bearing blocks,. a bifurcated roll-supporting beam mounted over said roll with its ends slidably connected to said bearing blocks, a pair of auxiliary screws supported by said housing and operably connected to said adjusting screws, a flexible beam supported on said auxiliary screws and disposed to slide laterally thereon, and adjustable means connected under tension by the flexing of said flexible beam between said flexible beam and said cross beam whereby adapting said auxiliary screws to adjustably carry the weight of said upper roll and maintain its bearing blocks in contact with said adjusting screws.

4. In a rolling mill, a pair of roll housings, an upper roll mounted for vertical adjustment in vertical openings provided in said housings, split bearing blocks mounted in said openings in engagement with the ends of said roll, adjusting screws mounted in said housings to engage the upper sections of said bearing blocks, a roll-supporting cross beam mounted over said roll with its ends connected to the lower sections of said bearing blocks, a pair of auxiliary screws supported by said housing and operably connected ,to said adjusting screws, a flexible beam supported by said auxiliary screws, and adjustable means connected'under tension by the flexing of said flexible beam between the center of said flexible beam and the center of said cross beam whereby adapting said auxiliary screws to adjustably carry the weight of said upper roll and yieldably maintain the lower sections of the bearing blocks in contact with said roll and the upper sections of the bearing blocks in contact with the adjusting'screws.

5. In a rolling mill, a pair of roll housings, an upper roll mounted for vertical adjustment in vertical openings provided in said housings, hearing blocks mounted in said openings in engagement with the ends of said roll, adjusting screws mounted in-said housings to engage said bearing blocks, a roll-supporting beam mounted over said roll with its ends connected to said bearing blocks, a second beam arranged above said first beam and connected thereto by connecting means disposed between the two ends of both beams, a pair of auxiliary screws for adjustably supporting said roll mounted on said housing above said adjusting screws, means operably connecting said auxiliary screws to said adjusting screws, cover elements arranged between said. auxiliary screws andthe ends of said upper roll-supporting beam, and spaced guides on the tops of said cover elements for holding said upper cross beam in place but permitting adjustment of said housings.

JOHN A. SMI'I'MANS. 

